On Monday, US stocks remained mostly unchanged as investors awaited upcoming corporate earnings, the latest inflation report, and the meeting between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy regarding the debt ceiling. The S&P 500 increased by 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.18% and the Nasdaq Composite decreased by 0.04%. Despite rising nearly 30% at market open, PacWest Bancorp shares were up less than 5% in midday trading after the bank cut its dividend and reassured investors of its financial stability.
The KBW regional banking index fell almost 2% after rising nearly 5% on Friday, following a rally in regional bank stocks. Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska over the weekend continued to impact the stock market, with Berkshire stock ticking higher by more than 1% and Occidental Petroleum shares dropping almost 2% after Warren Buffett stated that Berkshire would not be purchasing a controlling stake in the Houston-based oil company.
Cybersecurity company Zscaler's stock increased by more than 20% in intraday trading after it raised its revenue guidance for the quarter ending in April. Tyson Foods' shares sank more than 15% after the company cut its annual sales outlook range by $2 billion and missed Wall Street estimates for earnings per share and revenue in the first quarter. Dish Networks rose 3.5% despite reporting softer-than-expected quarterly earnings, while Six Flags' stock rose roughly 20% due to higher-than-expected revenue and increased spend per customer.
In commodities, oil futures rose on Monday, with West Texas Intermediate and Brent up by more than 2%, and Brent Crude prices at nearly $77 a barrel. However, wholesale inventories remained flat in March, and wholesale trade sales fell 2.1%, significantly lower than the projected 0.4% increase according to Bloomberg consensus data. Furthermore, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's warning that the US could default as early as June 1 due to the country's debt added to market uncertainty. President Biden is expected to meet with congressional leaders on Tuesday to discuss solutions, with the debt ceiling historically weighing on stocks.
Investors will be eagerly awaiting further economic news this week, particularly Wednesday's highly anticipated inflation report, to gain a clearer picture of the state of the US economy and the impact on the stock market.
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